Little bear's trip out

Darling father goes to the Methodist Church at the end of the road, and he enjoys it. Little bear has suddenly decided that he wants to go to church. I think the aura of mystery of going up the steps instead of into the undercroft where the coffee stop is has made it something of a mystical land. I have no objection to this, so I said I would take him on Sunday.

This was not good enough for little bear.

So, after a few false starts and faffs we found ourselves going up the steps and into Leeds Parish Church, St Peters, which was the only church I could think of that would be open and I also knew that there would be a cafe there. With perfect timing the cafe had just shut when we got there.

Little bear was a little put out, but was happy to look around St Peters. St Peters in Leeds was designed by Pugin, who also designed the House of Commons. http://www.leedsparishchurch.org.uk/ So I showed him a side chapel, which I called the lady chapel (don't know if I was right) and the altar, and the pews and the stained glass windows. I was a bit bewildered about what to explain to a none church going just about four year old.

A big problem I have, faced with all this Victorian Gothic splendour, is that first of all I love the old fashioned ritual of the Church of England in full regalia, with anthems at evensong and the 1666 prayer book service first thing on a Sunday. So I love the idea of learning and teaching little bear all about the obscure bits of the church. This is not only a bit useless to him but also has very little to do with God.

The other problem I have is theology. I explained that the altar was where the vicar talked to God. This may be as good an explanation as any that you can give to a four year old. However I am not sure exactly how theologically correct it is. I actually know quite a bit about theology in the medieval period, and I can follow quite a few arguments of the Reformation and Counter Reformation. I just don't know what is 'proper' now, and I don't want to get little bear into trouble.

So we had a little tour, then little bear dragged me all over the gardens nearby, which is where he fell over and got the mud smeared all over his face and jeans. Of course I had forgotten the wipes. Then we went to the cafe in the bus station where little bear ate the sugar topping off a fairy cake and made up to two ladies sitting on the next table.

Then he managed to lose both boots on the bus on the way home.